The Wedding DJ Blog features the exploits and adventures of Orange County and Los Angeles Wedding DJ Craig. Check out the latest trends in reception music and see what others have done to make their weddings unique!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Jim and Mark chose the historic Sunset Tower Hotel in Hollywood for their commitment ceremony on Nov. 6. This storied venue is elegantly retro and upscale, having been meticulously restored to it's former glory as Hollywood's tres chic place to stay.

And now...

During the ceremony, guests enjoyed a view of the couple with the hotel pool in the background and the LA skyline on the horizon.

Mark and Jim's ceremony included a custom The Wedding DJ hadn't experienced before. To the delight of their guests, a non traditional "sipping of the martini" was included as part of the vows. The use of vodka rather than wine as a sacrament may set a new precedent for future ceremonies to come!

After a wonderful meal and several heartfelt toasts from friends and family, it was time to hit the dance floor. Dancers enjoyed a variety of music including Lady Gaga, Blondie, The Ting Tings, Iggy Pop, Madonna and many others.

We used blue uplighting to create a fun ambiance around the dance floor, which the enthusiastic crowd kept full all night long.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Being a Los Angeles DJ isn't always just about music. Here is some uplighting I did for a July wedding at The Hyatt Regency in Long Beach.

The bride wanted a soft pink to match her chosen motif. My challenge was to light two different color surfaces and make them match and provide a vivid, custom gobo projection on the dance floor. And of course, I pinspotted the cake! You can be the judge on how well I did by watching the following video provided by my clients, Joel and Shirley. The lighting part of the video starts at 3:49:

On three walls I programmed the lights to get the desired color. On the whiter surface behind the head table this was looking too bright so I compensated by programming the lights slightly differently to make them match. Thanks for watching and here's to another great beginning!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Kate and Aaron had their hearts set on a Summer beach wedding. They chose August, 2010 as the month and Orange County's Salt Creek Beach as the place to make their dreams come true. But it almost didn't turn out the way they'd imagined.

Picture this: You're at the beach setting up sound for a ceremony with 250 guests invited. The nearest power is 200 feet away and due to a snafu the Park authorities failed to unlock the door to the only outlet available.

The guests have arrived and are now sitting in the sunlight, listening to the roar of the ocean and the occasional gull flyby as they anticipate the start of the nuptials. Park Reps are unresponsive to calls- still no power.

As the minutes tick by the wedding party is assembled and is ready to walk down the aisle. Reception is scheduled to immediately follow the ceremony. It's crunch time, what's a Wedding DJ to do?

With no AC and no generator available, I remembered that I keep a power inverter in my truck for drastic emergencies. We started the engine, attached the inverter to the battery and plugged in the power.

Suddenly the music began and every guest could now hear the lapel mic we already placed on the minister. The two Yamaha 15 inch two-way speakers we had set up reached all the way to the back row. We started the processional music and the vows went off without a hitch.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Why do I mention this? Because lucky for us he got the heck out of that dreary, rain laden spot and headed to sunny southern California. In 1925 Ole founded the city of San Clemente which continues to a prominent vacation and wedding hot spot.

Love Under The Palms

The rustic Beach Club bearing the name of the city's founder, was the perfect choice for Mandy and David's August wedding. The hardwood floors, alabaster walls and huge rotunda give it a timeless appeal. And the outside open air deck doesn't hurt!

Our newlyweds made their grand entrance while Chris Brown sang "Forever". The couple then immediately started in on their first dance, "So Into You" by Tamia Washington.

After a few toasts and a wonderful meal provided by Creative Cuisine, it was party time! "OMG" by Usher, "Mustang Sally" by The Commitments and "Ladies Night" by Kool & The Gang proved to be crowd favorites.

Hugging It Out!

Sound Active Dance Floor Lighting

Old Ole may have missed the coffee from up north but I think he would be proud to know he has played such an important part in so many happy celebrations here.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Kellie and Rodd chose the historic Hotel Laguna for their July, 2010 wedding in Laguna Beach, CA. This venue features a courtyard for ceremonies and a beach front banquet room with plenty of windows overlooking the surf and sand.

Taking the vows- can you spot the mic?

They needed a Wedding DJ that could play for the ceremony as well as the reception. For the ceremony we used a second sound system complete with wireless lapel mic for the clergy. The reception system was already set up, ready for the guests to arrive.

After some heartfelt toasts and a wonderful meal, the guests enjoyed a great mix of Rock, Dance music and a few Oldies. Special requests included, "Say Hey I Love You" by Michael Franti, "The Cha Cha Slide" and 80's Flashback "Push It" by Salt & Peppa.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Unexpected as in having Guns N' Roses rock anthem, "Sweet Child O' Mine" for a wedding ceremony exit. Or a surprise Elvis impersonator performance in the middle of a reception dinner. Or the Groom and his closest buddies taking the stage for an impromptu group karaoke performance of "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by Bon Jovi.

What all these things have in common is that they all happened at the SAME wedding. When Megan and Alex began planning their June 2010 wedding in San Pedro, they had no way of knowing it would turn out to be one of the most memorable days for themselves AND their guests.

Certainly those in attendance (myself included) have never seen a wedding quite like it.

The Bride and Groom made their triumphant entrance to the hard rocking "Ring Of Fire" by Social Distortion, followed immediately by their first dance, "Love Me Tender" by Elvis.

Here's the wedding cake without pin spot lighting... and WITH our pin spot. We like #2 better.

Special thanks go out to James Kruk (www.kingkruk.com) for performing a spot on Elvis tribute.

The venue before and after we added purple LED uplighting:

Boogie Shoes!

Git Down Wit Yo Bad Self

"Ooh we're halfway there... livin on a prayer!"

Party favorites included "OMG" by Usher, "Rock And Roll All Night" by KISS and the last song of the evening, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

This couple chose the The Hyatt Regency Resort for their ceremony and reception. The hotel is like a small city with shops, restaurants, numerous banquet rooms, fountains, massive courtyards and great views of The Pacific Ocean.

The Newlyweds even had custom cake toppers made in their likeness.

First Dance: "I'm Yours"- Jason Mraz

We used a 2 speaker Yamaha digital system to get the party moving.

Music choices included a great variety of songs and many guest requests including "Boy From Ipanema" and the guilty pleasures of "Rhythm Of The Night" by Debarge and "The Warrior" by 80s Rocker Patty Smyth.

Gettin' On The Good Foot

Tunnel Of Love

Guests won't soon forget the fun they had at this spectacular Huntington Beach Wedding. Here's To Another Great Beginning!